Guardians Ace Previews His Playoff Debut Ahead Of ALDS Start

To no one’s surprise, Tanner Bibee will take the mound for the Cleveland Guardians in Game 1 of the ALDS against the Detroit Tigers.

Bibee has been one of Cleveland’s top pitchers over the last two seasons and established himself as the team’s ace during the regular season. However, he’s still yet to appear in a postseason game.

Cleveland’s pitcher has been anticipating this moment for a long time and talked about what his thoughts have been leading up to the series.

“I feel like it didn’t really hit me until we found out who we were playing, and once Detroit won that series, it was like, ‘Oh, this is getting real,’” said Bibee. “I’ve had butterflies ever since, and it’s really exciting. I’m really excited to see the fans come and pack it out. I’m excited to feel the energy.”

“I don’t think I’ll be more nervous, but I do think there’ll be more adrenaline. I mean, I feel like the bigger crowds you have, naturally, no matter where you are, you’re going to have more adrenaline. Whether you’re facing more people in the crowd, stuff like that,” continued Cleveland’s ace.

Bibee finished his sophomore season with a 3.47 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and a 3.56 FIP.

While he may have taken a step back when looking at some of the counting stats, those around him, such as Stephen Vogt and Austin Hedges, have marveled at how he’s progressed in terms of preparing and executing his pitches in individual at-bats.

Bibee has always been a pitcher who throws with plenty of emotion and lets it show when he’s on the mound. His personality and mindset are exactly what an ace of a rotation needs in the playoffs, and it’ll be exciting to see how he looks on the mound in Game 1.